Utilities Engineer Dustin Sailor explained that U.S. 33 and Kercher Road is usually congested on business days. Closing the west side of Kercher will allow the contractor, C&E Excavating, to complete the project on time.

The board approved to declare a state of emergency for the city because of damage from the July 1 storm. Street Commissioner Denny Long said the declaration of emergency will help speed the process for the street department to secure additional equipment, like wood chippers, to remove storm-related debris.

The board awarded the 2014 asphalt paving project contract to Phend & Brown Inc., one of four companies that offered bids for the project. Here are the bids that were submitted:

The board accepted a letter of resignation, effective Aug. 1, from Pvt. Brian Wogoman of the Goshen Fire Department. Fire Chief Dan Sink told the board Wogoman worked with the fire department for about five years, and that the reason Wogoman resigned was because he got a private offer from his family business.

The board also gave Sink permission to present a conditional offer of employment to Camden Bontrager. Bontrager will start working at the fire department as probationary firefighter for a year. Bontrager volunteers at the Elkhart Township Fire Department.